


Songs of Sunshine and Shadows

by queenchlorine



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Post-The Blood of Olympus, my chemical romance song, ramones song, slight canon divergence bc will is actually musically talented!, solangelo, twenty one pilots song
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-05
Updated: 2016-05-16
Packaged: 2018-04-24 20:59:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4935166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenchlorine/pseuds/queenchlorine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the war, Nico and Will are back at Camp Half Blood, where they encounter an emo CD, a badly-played ukelele, and various other musical miracles and misadventures. In the end, though, each song adds to the ever-growing playlist of their relationship.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Summertime

When Nico woke up in the infirmary, he was in a clean, warm bed in his own, private room. Through the curtained doorway, he could hear someone singing in a sweet, airy tenor. “Turn my headphones up real loud. I don’t think I need them now, ‘cause you stop the noise...”  
“Will?”  
“Holy Mother of Zeus! How long have you been awake?”  
“Like, two seconds.”  
“Okay. I’m coming in. You decent?”  
“Yeah.”  
Will poked his tan face in between the white-and-gold curtains. “Hey.” He seemed shy, all of a sudden.  
“Hey,” said Nico, hiding a smirk. “You can come in, you know. Like, all of you.”  
Will giggled and flushed as he stepped inside. “So, I guess you’re feeling better?”  
“Mostly, yeah.”  
“Good. I was getting worried. I think the Morpheus kids went a little overboard on the sleeping magic stuff. You were out for two days.”  
Nico groaned. “You knocked me out for two days? You’ve got to be kidding me, Solace.”  
“Well, you’re awake now. That’s what’s important, right?”  
The boy on the bed rolled his eyes and said nothing as Will rummaged through the medicine cabinets lining the walls. He emerged with his arms full of shiny silver equipment, a notepad, and a pen between his teeth.  
“I just have to check a few things really quick,” Will promised, pulling out a thermometer. “Here, stick this in your mouth.” He paused for a second as he realized what he had just said. “Oh gods, not like that.”  
Nico raised his eyebrows as he tucked the thermometer under his tongue, earning a playful punch from the healer.  
An awkward silence fell, only to be broken by the loud beeping of the thermometer. “Perfect,” Will decided, checking the small screen. “Now give me your arm, I need to do blood pressure.”  
As Nico complied, the wheezing of the blood pressure monitor filled the room and, Nico hoped, covered up the sound of his wildly thumping heart. Will was so close, and it made him feel so...vulnerable. It was not an unfamiliar feeling, but whenever Percy had made him feel like that, Nico was able to run away. Now, there was little to do to resist Will’s hand on his arm, the comforting but also somehow exhilarating feeling of the lightest brush of skin on skin.  
“Good.” Will pulled out a stethoscope. “Now, sit up and take deep breaths.”  
Shit. Shit, shit, shit. Nico was not prepared for this. Not prepared for cold metal, warm hands, under his shirt, pressing against his chest.  
Will cocked an eyebrow. “Deep breaths. Relax. Jesus, your heart is going crazy.”  
The smaller boy turned wine-red behind his wavy dark bangs. It was quiet again as Nico tried desperately to slow the frantic beat of his heart.  
“Okay, di Angelo. You look fine. But you still owe me a day in the infirmary. And no death magic.” He turned and busied himself with stashing his equipment and scribbling in his notepad.  
“Hey, Will?”  
“Yeah?”  
“What’s that song you were singing before?”  
“Oh my gods. You heard that?”  
“Yeah.” Nico twisted his silver skull ring. “But it...it was good. Don’t worry.” He smiled an awkward half-smile; he knew he had to work on giving compliments and, hell, just being social in general.  
Will smirked. “Thanks. It’s called ‘Summertime.’”  
“I...I liked it.”  
“I’ve got it over here. You know- Apollo, God of Music and all.”  
Nico nodded. He did know: he’d heard everything from Lady Gaga to alt-J to Metallica blaring from Cabin Seven.  
Meanwhile, Will opened a small, narrow cabinet by the door, grabbed a CD player, and pulled a sleek plastic case from the tall stack in the shallow cabinet. After a few moments of fumbling with the machine, Nico could hear the steady pulse of drums, then guitar, sweet and clear. When the words began, Will sang along, his voice melting into the one on the recording, weaving a heartbreakingly simple melody.  
“When the lights go out, will you take me with you? And carry all this broken bone, through six years down in crowded rooms and highways I call home.”  
Nico didn’t know what came over him. But Will was pretty as an angel in pale gold as he swayed back and forth, striking sapphire eyes gently shut. And Nico couldn’t stop himself. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and shuffled unsteadily to where Will stood.  
The son of Apollo seemed aware of his presence; a small smile appeared on the edges of his sun-reddened mouth. And as he murmured, “And if you stay, I would even wait all night. Or until my…” Nico pressed their lips together, swallowing the word ‘heart.’  
He could feel Will’s smile widen as he responded, strong but gentle hands finding their way up to rest on the delicate bones of Nico’s slim shoulders.  
Nico reached out his own thin, pale hands, pulling the other boy closer, closer, their chests colliding, sharing heat, happiness.  
“You can run away with me anytime you want,” the song promised.  
But, for the first time in a long, long time, Nico didn’t want to run away. He felt safe just where he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics used from 'Summertime' by My Chemical Romance. I do not own the song (or the band lmao).  
> If you know any cute Solangelo songs, let me know in the comments!


	2. We Don't Believe What's On TV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Nico changes his mind about Will's ukelele.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NaNoWriMo is finally over, so I'm getting back into fanfic mode. Apologies if I'm a little rusty!

At first, the ukelele had been cute. Nico had liked Will’s out-of-tune chords and clumsy off-beat strumming, and he had never laughed harder than when Will broke a string and it snapped across his shocked face.  
But after a couple weeks, Will hadn’t gotten any better and Nico was getting annoyed.   
“Jason!”  
“Neeks?” Jason swiped his sweaty bangs off of his forehead as he turned around. Nico had caught him just as he left swordfighting, and was painfully aware that his tall, well-built friend wasn’t wearing a shirt. “What’s up?”  
“Can I go back to your cabin with you? I need, uh, advice on boys.”   
“Sure, bro.” Jason slung a hard-muscled arm over the dark-haired boy’s narrow shoulders, and Nico pushed it off, scowling. Jason chuckled. “Let’s go.”

Safe in the cool marble interior of Cabin 1, Nico leaned against the doorframe while Jason rummaged for a clean shirt.  
“So…” Nico wasn’t sure how to begin. Jason was probably his best friend, but that wasn’t really saying much- Nico hadn’t ever had many friends and he was still kind of awkward around Jason. “I really like Will Solace…”  
“No shit. You guys are dating, for Zeus’ sake.”  
“But his fucking ukelele makes me want to commit homicide.”  
“What do you want me to do about it?”  
“Can you just...nicely ask him to shut the fuck up?”  
Jason giggled like a five-year-old girl into the material of the bright orange shirt he was pulling over his head. “You ask him.”  
“Jaaase,” Nico whine. “You know I can’t.”  
Jason pulled his features into a serious mask. “Don’t worry, bud. Everyone has their annoying habits. Like, when Piper has too much eggnog, she flirts with Reyna.”  
“Um, okay.”  
“Besides,” Jason flashed a wicked grin, “you might change your mind about the ukelele.”  
“Sure.”  
“Now, I’m not kicking you out, but I have to change pants, and I’m not wearing underwear. Unless you want to stick around and watch.” He wiggled his eyebrows.  
Nico knew his friend was joking, but he also knew he should be outraged, so he swallowed his laugh. “Jason, you know not every gay boy wants to fuck you.”  
“I didn’t say every gay boy wants to fuck me. Just you.”  
“Bye, Grace.”  
“Later, di Angelo.”

The pale yellow flames flickered high into the night. Piper snuggled into Jason’s shoulder. Nico slumped into the shadows on Jason’s other side. He had never really liked campfires, and especially not now that Will was sitting on the other side of the fire, with his siblings.   
Nico stayed silent, trying not to scowl too deeply, as the camp finished up an out-of-tune rendition of “Ho Hey.”   
The campers were quiet for a few moments, listening to the tranquil crackling of the fire and the gentle sigh of the breeze.   
A lithe, lean figure caught Nico’s eye as it stood to address the camp. Cornsilk hair reflected the firelight and robin’s egg eyes grinned above chisel-point cheekbones. And the fucking ukelele was slung across his chest. With a rainbow strap, for Olympus’ sake.  
“I’ve got a song I’d like to play,” Will announced, firing an easy grin like an arrow astray. “It reminds me of a certain someone. I’m sure he knows who he is.”  
Piper and Jason exchanged knowing glances. Chiron looked slightly bemused, but motioned for Will to go ahead and play.  
When his boyfriend strummed the first few chords, Nico almost laughed with relief and amazement, because, damn, Will sounded good. The song was quick, but the son of Apollo played with precision and confidence.   
He began to sing in his high, boyish voice, and the words were soft and melancholy. “We don’t believe what’s on TV. Because it’s what we want to see. And what we want, we know we can’t believe. We have all learned to kill our dreams.”   
Will sang to the sky and the deep orange fire and his attentive teenage audience. He paced the dirt stage in long, careless strides that must have been more intentional than they appeared, because he was directly in front of his dark-haired boyfriend, looking straight into Nico’s eyes, as he sang, “‘Cause if you stick around, I’ll sing you pretty sounds, and we’ll make money selling your hair. I don’t care what’s in your hair, I just want to know what’s on your mind. I used to say, ‘I wanna die before I’m old,’ but because of you I might think twice.”  
Nico blushed cherry red, but before he could shadow travel away from the campers’ attention, Will snapped his head up and pivoted to face the center of the crowd.  
“Alright, second verse!”  
Jason turned to Nico with a shit-eating grin. “How do you feel about the ukelele now?”  
That wasn’t a question easily answered, so Nico stuck to his typical pessimistic approach. “It’s still annoying.”  
“Aww, Neeks,” Piper chided. “It’s adorable! I know you love it. Deep down inside your cold black heart.”  
Nico felt the corners of his mouth pull up against his will; he knew Piper didn’t like to use charmspeak on her friends, but she had a natural, magnetic quality that often cheered him up as effectively as any magic.  
“Okay,” he admitted. “It’s kinda cute.”  
“I need to know that when I fail, you’ll still be here,” Will beseeched. “‘Cause if you stick around, I’ll sing you pretty sounds…”  
He was closing fast on the final chorus, and he made his way back over to where Nico sat, ice-pale cheeks still dusted with magenta.   
“I don’t care what’s in your hair.” Will knelt down on one knee and looked up at Nico, eyes wide beneath thick, sandy lashes. “I just wanna know what’s on your mind.” He laid the ukelele gently to rest on his chest and clasped Nico’s delicate hands loosely in his own. “I used to say, ‘I wanna die before I’m old,’ but because of you. I might. Think. Twice.” Will’s voice slowed, decrescendoed and trailed off. His hands were warm and rough on Nico’s, his features heartbreakingly beautiful in the glow of the fire.  
The camp broke out into applause and wolf-whistles. Even Mr. D nodded his approval and seemed to be wiping a tear from his eye.  
Abruptly, Will stood, gently lowering Nico’s hands and returning to his spot with the other Apollo campers. Before he sat down, he looked out over the crowd, quieting them with his gaze.   
“Nico di Angelo,” he addressed the sea of orange cotton and blue jeans, but the words found their way straight to Nico’s chest. “I love you.”  
Nico didn’t have to look deep into his ‘cold black heart’ to know that he loved Will back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics used from "We Don't Believe What's On TV" by twenty|one|pilots. If you know any other songs that remind you of Nico and Will, let me know in the comments!


	3. Teenage Lobotomy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Super short, mostly character building for Nico. I haven't updated this in a while but I thought I should write a little to acknowledge the THING that happened on page 91. Y'all know what I mean.

Nico knew that most people didn't find The Ramones particularly soothing; he didn't know why they had that effect on him. He supposed it was because “Rocket to Russia” had been Bianca's favorite album ever, and now that he had more or less made peace with her death, memories of her were more calming than painful. 

He had been extremely lucky to find a copy of “Rocket to Russia” lying in the Apollo cabin’s stash of CDs, tapes, and records. He was even more lucky that Will had given him his blessing to ‘borrow’ the disk (without the intention of ever giving it back). 

The Hades cabin was filled with the shouts and strains of “Teenage Lobotomy” when someone tried to break down the door.

Nico leapt to his feet and grabbed his Stygian sword, approaching the door from the side before flinging it open as quickly as possible. A broad black shadow spilled across the floor, defined in pale moonlight. Nico’s muscles tensed as he leaned around the door to study the late-night intruder.

“Jesus Christ, it’s just you.” 

Will looked confused. “Dude, get your shit together. You’re not dating Jesus Christ.”

“Shut up.” Nico put the sword down, blushing. “You were knocking so loud, I thought you were attacking my door with a hatchet or something.”

“That’s ‘cause of all this.” Will made a sort of general gesture to the air around him, indicating the loud punk music that still echoed through the room. 

Nico shut the door and turned down the volume on his archaic CD player. “Bianca liked The Ramones,” he explained, still pink in the face. “Listening to this album kind of...makes me feel better. Less stressed.”

Will pouted. “I thought that was my job. Making you...feel better.” He was clearly trying not to laugh, but couldn’t contain his cocky grin. Nico responded by scowling and turning the music back up. “The Ramones are good, too,” Will amended. “But-” he stepped closer, almost pinning Nico against the wall. “I think I can do better.” 

Nico rolled his eyes, but couldn’t find a retort as Will’s chest pressed against his and dry pink lips explored the hollow of his cheek, the line of his jaw, the slope of his nose. The son of Apollo was pretty, radiant, so warm and solid against Nico’s body. His spidery fingers knotted into his boyfriend’s shaggy blond hair and guided their lips together, setting off a heavy, intense explosion in Nico’s chest, the feeling he had been craving.

Neither bothered to turn off the CD player as they pushed ever closer, grabbing and clawing and feeding off of each other’s heat. 

Damn, Nico thought. I really, really like The Ramones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title/song references from The Ramones (obviously). (I'm so happy Nico likes them.)
> 
> Let me know if you have any songs that make you think of everybody's fave canon(!!!) demigod couple.


End file.
